The Mysteries of Time
by Astronomy Geek
Summary: Aurors Harry and Hermione thought that it was just another day at work...but they had no idea that a misshap with TimeTurners would send them back 18 years in the past.Why 18?That's a mystery...UPDATED!HHr in later chapters.sorry I put up 19 years earlier
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters; they pblelong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Enjoy the FanFiction!**

Chapter 1

It was an early morning in October when a black-haired young man of 18, carrying a briefcase with the letters _HP_ embroidered in silver on the side, was walking to an elevator in the Ministry of Magic in London, England. As he walked, he saw the old wizard at the Guest Services booth, asleep, with drool sliding down his badly-shaved face and his head on the counter top. The young man just smiled and shook his head slightly, and kept walking. The old wizard was the only one he had seen on the Ground Floor.

He entered the elevator, turned around, and saw the golden gates close. He got off on Level Two, walked down an empty corridor, pushed open a large wooden door, and walked to the many Auror cubicles; he had the route well memorized, for he had taken been working there for about 16 months now.

When he had gotten close to his own little cubicle, he heard the scratching of a quill in the quiet and empty room. He smiled a little to himself, for there was only one other person mad enough to come to work at this time of morning: his partner Hermione Granger.

Himself, Hermione, and their other friends, Ron and Luna, were all Aurors. Lucky for Ron, he got to be partnered with Luna when she came to work there. So far, everyone in their department, including Luna herself, knew that Ron had a total crush on his partner.

Harry walked quietly to the edge of the cubicle next to his own and saw a young woman quickly writing with her eagle feathered quill, with her back towards Harry. She had curly brunette hair that was fashioned into a simple pony-tail, but Harry thought that she was still beautiful.

Luckily for Harry, no one knew of his crush for his best friend. Everyone thought that the simple pecks on the cheek and the holding her hand was because of their friendship, but Harry did it more out of his new feelings for his friend. And what made Harry feel better, was that when he displayed these little affectionate gestures, Hermione never complained, and often returned them.

"Hi Harry," said Hermione, who was writing with her eyes still glued to the page. Harry raised his eyebrows and thought, _Okay…how did she know I was here?_

Hermione turned around to look at him, still seated, and looked at Harry's raised eyebrows with a little smile on her face. "I could smell your cologne from a few cubicles over." Harry gave her a little smile. Even though he was caught before he could sneak up on her, he liked the fact that she could smell his expensive cologne; she was the reason for putting it on everyday in the first place.

"What are you working on 'Mione?" he said as he moved into the little space.

"Oh," said Hermione as she turned around to her oak desk, "Just writing to the French Ministry of Magic telling them that we still haven't found Lucius Malfoy yet."

Harry stuck out his tongue and wrinkled his nose as he read his name on her parchment in her neat handwriting; his name did not deserve to be displayed in such a pretty way. Malfoy Senior had been running around the globe after Voldemort's death, and the Aurors still could not chuck him into Azkaban.

Harry then heard hurried footsteps on the carpeted floor. He stood up straight from his bent-over position and looked over the cubicle wall. He saw his boss, Percy Weasley, the Minister of Magic, jogging toward them. With his glasses hanging off of the tip of his freckled nose, Percy asked Harry, "Have you seen Jason Jiller this morning?"

"Jiller?" asked Hermione, as she rolled her chair to the edge of her cubicle and looked up at her boss, "From the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes," said Percy looking down at her. He then looked around the crowded room of empty cubicles as if expecting to see him there. He then looked around with unfocused eyes, as if listening for him. He then moved closer and whispered to them, "I've heard rumors that Jiller is a Death Eater and has been helping Lucius Malfoy escape the Aurors by telling him where you are planning to look for him next. I was wondering if you could…" he then had a sheepish look cross his freckled face, "…go into the Department of Mysteries and tell him that I am looking for him? I know that he is usually here early doing…whatever he does."

Harry looked down at Hermione and shrugged his shoulder. Hermione said slowly, "Sure…but why us?"

"Well," said Percy in a normal tone, "you two are the strongest Aurors I have…and if he really _is_ a Death Eater, he knows Dark magic…I need someone or some_one's_ to restrain him and bring him to me." He then stood up straight and looked at them with narrowed eyes, as if daring them to ask what he would do with Jiller when he had him. Neither of them asked.

Harry them slipped out of partners' cubicle, walked past his boss and went into his own little office. He grabbed his Hungarian-Horntail hide gloves with the finger-tips cut away, his Invisibility Cloak from his briefcase, and his Weasley Wizard Wheezes cloak that repelled simple spells. After whipping it around himself and clasped it, he walked over to his partner. He saw her fastening her own cloak, then getting her own gloves.

"Don't worry too much Perce," said Harry casually as he walked over to Hermione. "We'll hopefully have him by 7 this morning."

Then, the two friends turned around and jogged out of the room, pushed open the wooded doors, ran down the corridor with their cloaks billowing behind them, and entered an empty elevator. They then looked at each other; they both hoped that this would go quickly, for they had another Death Eater already on their busy agenda.

Little did they know that their day was about to turn extraordinary…even by wizards' standards.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own anything to do with Harry Potter**

**A/N: This chapter is a bit boring in the beginning, but better in the end, promise!**

Chapter 2

Harry had mentioned to Hermione in the elevator if they should just enter the Department casually and be open about talking to the suspected Auror; he wanted to take him by surprise. He also thought that they could just Apparate to one of the rooms that he had already been in. Hermione, still the logical bookworm, said that it would look suspicious if two Aurors walked into the Department when Jiller was the only one there. And also to Harry's other question… "I'm not too sure if that is a good idea; what if he is right behind us?" So Harry recalled his Auror knowledge to enter stealthily.

So, the young Aurors looked cautiously out of the open elevator. The pair walked forward slowly, with their footfalls echoing off of the plain stone walls of the empty corridor.

Harry drew out his wand from his holster, and quickly stepped in front of the little opening in the wall to the right with his wand pointed outward; he always looked for possible hiding places first. After the way to Courtroom Ten was clear, Hermione moved closer to the lone black door at the end of the long corridor. She grasped the cold handle…and pulled it open with Harry ready for Jiller to possibly come out…but he only saw the familiar black, circular room with handless doors, and blue flames.

The Aurors walked in, and Hermione muttered "Flagrate!" and an X appeared on their door. They then closed the door…and watched as the doors began to spin. They watched, getting a little disorientated and dizzy, until the wall started to slow down and eventually stop. They knew as much as Percy did at what Jiller did in the Department of Mysteries…and Percy only knew that Jiller worked here. They decided to go the way that they had gone 4 years ago.

They walked straight, and pushed open the door. They did not see the tank of brains in the familiar room, thankfully, but they also did not see anyone else. They then walked cautiously to the next door to find…the veil in the room that Harry was tried in. Harry stared…he heard whispering again…but he did not know who it was. Harry looked down at it with awe and wondered if Sirius was in there. He listened hard…but could tell that it did not sound like Sirius. But if it wasn't his Godfather, then who…Harry was brought back to the present from a tugging on his shirt sleeve. Harry turned to look at Hermione; her brow was frowned slightly as she continued to look at the slightly moving black curtain.

"Come along Harry; we have to find him," she said firmly as she pulled Harry to the open door again. As an afterthought, she said in a hushed voice, "I hear it too."

They exited, and put another X on the black door that they had originally entered. Again, the doors begin to spin, and Harry and Hermione became dizzy again. After the doors stood still again, they proceeded to another door.

They entered the room…and found the crystal bell jar in front of them. They looked around at all of the clocks and the cabinet full of Time-Turners; no one was there.

Harry moved in front of a giant grandfather clock to his left to inspect it closer. It looked like it was made of pure gold, and the glass cabinet on its front had tiny rubies embedded around its edges. He could see the reflection of a boy in awe and the other clocks behind him too. Harry could hear as Hermione gasped at another beautiful clock to his right and looked at it himself; another beauty. He laughed a little; here they were admiring clocks with a Death Eater on the loose. He then looked at the clock in front of him...and his heart seemed to stop beating and he stopped breathing. He saw his terrified self, and instead of the wall behind him…he saw a cloaked figure.

Harry spun around with his wand out…but there was no one there. Hermione looked over at Harry pointing his wand at the clock-covered wall and asked with a hint of worry, "What's wrong?"

Harry, his heart still beating as fast as his Firebolt can fly, looked around the room. He then walked toward her slowly while he lowered his wand. He then looked at her with widened eyes behind his round-framed glasses, when he had gotten closer and said, "I…I thought I saw him…but he was gone when I turned around."

They then heard a small _ding…ding…ding…_ behind Hermione. They both looked at the little clock, and for some reason, their hearts began to beat a little harder.

Then, they heard a little sound among the _ding_ing that made their ears perk backwards. They turned and saw the glass cabinet flying towards them.

Harry and Hermione saw something coming fast and spun around to Apparate…but in their minds…they heard whispering. Their minds went blank of their original destination and instead thought of the veil. They wondered why they had heard the whispering…and wished that they hadn't Apparated to the veil later that day.

The cabinet bashed into them right when they Apparated to the dais in front of the veil. The cabinet crashed into them, piercing them with glass as it crashed into their bodies. The Time-Turners spilled all around; on Harry and Hermione and on the floor. The wood was too solid to completely brake, so it ran into them, making them fly backwards. They were sent over the step to the veil…and fell through.

Harry could see the delicate black curtain to his left fly by through his cracked glasses. He thought _Oh no…_and all turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter, only J.K. Rowling does. Rowling rocks!**

**A/N: Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

Chapter 3

"Oi," said a small, distant voice. "Can you hear me?" Harry Potter didn't know where he was…or what he was doing there…or who was talking to him.

"Mate…James…can you hear me?" This time the voice was louder and clearer. _James? _thought Harry. Harry then noticed that everything was dark…so he slowly opened his green eyes.

Bright sunlight hit him like the Bludger in Second Year. He shot up his arm to block the light, and he could see white spots appear in front of his eyes. He blinked eyes and saw… a pale face ginger hair. Harry squinted up at the man that stood bent-over him and saw that he was in his middle to late thirties, bright flaming hair, a long freckled nose, and blue eyes. Harry blinked to clear his vision for the man looked like a younger…

"Mr. Weasley?" mumbled Harry. He then sat up with his eyes still on the man in front of him.

"Err…that's me…but you can still call me Arthur?" said the man with amusement in his shiny blue eyes and a smile on his face. "What are you doing in the street James? Getting a tan?" The man then laughed; that was something that James would defiantly do. Then the red haired man looked the man in the eye and his smile faded for he saw…he saw bright green eyes, not hazel. The man looked closer to the green-eyed man and noticed that he was really only a boy.

"Oh…I'm sorry…I thought that you were someone I knew," said Arthur hurriedly while his ears started to turn red with embarrassment.

"Err…," Arthur said holding out his hand to the green eyed boy. "Sorry 'bout calling you…I thought you were James…but you're not. So…what's your name?" He hoisted up Harry off of…the concreted ground of Diagon Alley.

Harry continued to look at Arthur. Could he really be Mr. Weasely, and if so, why is he so young? He ignored the name question, for everything just seemed to rush back to him; the figure, the veil, the cabinet, the Time-Turners, the clocks, and…

"Umm…excuse me," Harry said distractedly as he looked around the semi-busy alley. "Have you seen a girl with the same cloak I'm wearing, and brown hair?" He plucked at his WWW (Weasley Wizard Wheezes) cloak.

"Yes," said Arthur as he looked at Harry's shiny and expensive-looking cloak with admiration. "She was taken by my wife to The Leaky Cauldron; she wouldn't wake up. I thought…if you were James--my friend…then you were just…foolin' around…"

Harry then turned around and sprinted to the pub, leaving a confused Weasley behind. He ran past people who looked back at him with frowns, but he didn't care; he needed to find Hermione. All of the possible things that could have happened to her flew though Harry's crowded mind. He finally found the brick wall that magically began to open up for him.

"Hurry up!" he shouted at the wall. When there was a manageable sized hole in the wall, he sprinted through. He saw Hermione sitting at a little table with her head in her hands and her elbows on the table. She had a red--haired woman sitting next to her in another chair, giving her confused and pitied looks. Harry ran to her side.

Hermione looked up when she heard running feet to find Harry. She sat up quickly, causing her rickety chair to fall over backwards. She ran to meet Harry and threw her arms around Harry's neck; she didn't know where he was until that moment. Harry, filled with relief, held her close to let her know that everything was going to be okay. _Wait…okay? _Harry pulled Hermione away and looked into her brown eyes.

"Hermione…what happened?" Harry then became frantic as he remembered the ginger haired man and saw his wife look at them with warm brown eyes; they were familiar. "I saw Mr. Weasley out there and he was _younger_ 'Mione! And that's Mrs. Weasley over there! What happened with the veil and the cabinet and the Time-Turners…?"

"Harry, calm down; I think I know what happened," started Hermione. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay…I think that…we have gone back in time…many years back in time. You see, I saw Bill earlier and he was only 17! The Weasley parents are younger…and if my calculations are correct…then we have gone back in time approximately 19 years." Her eyes then seemed to lose all of the cheerful life that Harry had grown to love.

"But," thought Harry, who was starting to become frightened, "How did we travel back…" he stopped, and his eyes widened as he came to a conclusion. "The Time-Turners…we were sent back in time because of the Time-Turners!" He then noticed Mrs. Weasley stand up and walk away from the couple with a look of confusion on her freckled face.

"Wait," said Harry as he looked back at Hermione. "Why were we sent back 19 _years?_ It should be only hours! What about the cabinet and the injuries that we should have? What about getting back? What about the veil---"

"Harry!" shouted Hermione. "I think that we were sent back years because of the veil. I think the veil…prevented us from having the injuries, for the veil does not contain pain; it heals the dead. The only reason I know this is because I heard Jiller talking to the Seer who made it on Monday." Before Harry could say anything further, she continued, "Remember the whispers that we heard?" He nodded. "I think that they were your fathers'. I think that we were to be transported a few hours into the past…but…he pulled us here at the same second the Time-Turners were activated. I don't think that my theory is correct, but that was the only thing that I could think of that would explain almost everything." She then looked at Harry with depressed, pleading, and tired eyes.

"Why would my dad pull us here?" whispered Harry.

"That is the thing that I don't know Harry…but there must be a reason."

Just then, they heard loud footfalls coming from the right; someone was coming down the stairs from the landing above. A young man of 17 appeared in the young Aurors' sight at the top of the stairs. He had red hair pulled back into a small pony-tail and was wearing dragon hide boots and vest over a T-shirt saying **Dragons Rule!** In front of Harry and Hermione stood 17 year old Bill Weasley; the eldest of the Weasley children.

The Aurors thought that they would soon lose their sanity before they could get back to their own time…if they ever get back.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Harry Potter is not mine!**

**A/N: Hope the chapter is good, and if it's not…tell me so!**

Chapter 4

Harry and Hermione watched Bill Weasley walk down the remaining steps at the Leaky Cauldron. They watched the young man walk up to the bar, and called to the bartender, Tom: "Oi, Tom! Thanks for lunch, but I've got to get back to Hogwarts. Now I can just Apparate wherever I want! This is going to be wicked!"

The man behind the counter with graying black hair said with a toothy smile, "No problem Bill, and try not to splinch yourself."

Bill then saw the two 18 year olds staring at him with looks of shock on their faces that shone golden from the sunlight streaming in from the open window. He then noticed that one of them was…

"Oi, James! I didn't know you were here!" Bill then walked over to them with a smile on his face and his hand out-stretched to Harry. Bill then saw the sunlight reflect a green shine in the young mans' eyes. He then stopped, his smile vanishing and pulled his hand away.

"Oh…sorry," he said sheepishly. "I thought you were someone I knew…" His ears started to turn red as he thought of what to say next.

"S'alright," said Harry casually after the initial shock wore off. "I seem to get that a lot."

Bill then nodded, and walked away, embarrassed, to the little courtyard where the entrance to Diagon Alley was. A few seconds later, they heard a _Crack!_ signaling that he had just Apparated.

Harry and Hermione then looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. They had one thing running through their minds: _How do we get back?_ But, Harry then had another thought present itself to him.

"Hermione," Harry said slowly, "People are mistaking me for my dad…so that means that he's still alive!"

"Harry," said Hermione firmly, "We need to get back before we alter the past--"

"Alter the past! Hermione you're brilliant!" Harry had pure excitement and a smile appear on his face. "We could stay here for a few weeks and prevent my parents from getting killed and I could kill Voldemort now and be done with him!"

"Harry…that might not work," said Hermione as she looked around at the almost-empty pub to see if anyone was listening; no one paid them any attention. "We could end up doing something terrible, or something could go wrong, or--"

"Hermione, what could go wrong?" asked Harry. He didn't bother to wait for her answer; he grabbed her arm and Apparated out of the pub.

They saw black…and then bright colors appeared again. They were standing on a green lawn in front of a two-story white house; they were in front of the Potters' house in Godric's Hollow.

"Harry," said Hermione angrily, pulling her arm out of Harry's grasp. "A muggle could have seen us just appear out of thin air!" But, Harry wasn't listening; he was walking on the green grass, moving toward the left window on the houses' front. He then crouched low, and stopped to look over the hedge that was stationed in front of the window, and looked inside of the house.

Hermione looked around to see if anyone was watching, and crept up to Harry. She looked through the window…and saw 4 men, and a woman holding a little boy in her arms.

One of the men had messy black hair, oval glasses, and a long nose: James Potter.

Another man was tall, dark, and handsome with his black hair pulled into a little pony-tail, like Bills': Sirius Black.

Their companion, who was sitting on the couch looking at the television, had light brown hair and dark circles under his tired eyes: Remus Lupin.

The last man was looking at the Potters with watery, blue eyes; they were staring, with a hint of sadness as the two other men and the woman laughed at a joke Sirius made about a Bludger and the Prime Minister.

And last, the woman: she had bright red hair that reached to her waist, and even from the window, Harry and Hermione could see her bright, green eyes. And of course, the little black haired boy, with the same shocking eyes, didn't understand the joke. Baby Harry looked around…and saw the two Aurors looking back at him through the window. The Aurors then ducked behind the shrub with widened eyes.

"See Harry; for all we know, we had just changed the future!" Hermione glared at Harry with her brown eyes. "I know that you want your parents to be in the future with you, Harry, but we might end up making a big mistake!" Hermione's death glare vanished and was instead replaced with pleading eyes.

"Hermione…I have to try. You can try to get back to our time…but I'm staying." Harry didn't look at Hermione; he didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes at the thought of losing his parents now that he had found them.

"Besides," said Harry, looking at the neighbors' red car. "Like you said…my dad brought us here for a reason. Maybe the reason is that I need to help them survive Voldemorts' attack."

But, later, Harry found out that that was not the reason that James Potter had brought his son to the past. It was for a completely different reason…a reason that had to do with him, time itself, and the young woman that sat next to him…

**A/N: It's currently October in the story, meaning students are supposed to be in Hogwarts, but Bill left for a couple of days to take his Apparation test, and came to the Leaky Cauldron to visit the other Weasleys. The Weasleys were staying with Bill to spend time with him before he goes back to Hogwarts.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Harry Potter is not mine!**

**A/N: Please R I need to know if it is good!**

Chapter 5

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were sitting in separate rooms in the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione did not want to stay; she felt that if they did, they would alter the future accidentally and cause havoc, or something wrong would happen and Harry's life would turn out even worse. But, she couldn't just leave him there while she tried to get back, because if she did and if Harry tried and couldn't…she would not be able to live with herself.

Harry wanted, no _needed_, to stay behind, and on Halloween night, he would destroy Voldemort instead of him killing his parents. He laid on his back on the squeaky old bed and thought of him growing up with his parents. He imagined spending 11 years of his life, and be happy…and then going off to Hogwarts. He then tried to imagine what it would happen if he did, and not as the orphan he was growing up.

He thought that he wouldn't have met Hagrid so quickly…but that was okay; he would meet him at Hogsmead station, swinging his lamp around and shouting, "Firs' years!" Harry smiled at the fond memory.

He thought of Ron next. He had met him first at Kings' Cross because he was late at finding Platform 9 ¾ s. What would have happened if he didn't meet the Weasleys at the muggle train station, because his parents would have brought him, most likely early. Harry wondered if the skinny ginger haired kid would have entered another compartment because Harry would have gotten there early, so he would have met others. If so…would they ever have become best mates if they didn't meet on the Hogwarts Express first?

Harry quickly sat up and shook his head, trying to get rid of the horrible thoughts of him never becoming Ron's friend. Harry tried to convince himself that they would, eventually, but another little voice in his head said that they might not. Harry tried to think of other things as the sunlight turned red-gold through his window, as began to set for the night, but his mind kept on thinking.

Would he have still found the Philosophers Stone—wait, he only found it to prevent Voldemort from getting it, so that would not happen. What about…wait, all of the odd adventures he had had at Hogwarts were because of Voldemort! From the Chamber of Secrets, to Sirius escaping Azkaban, to…everything; everything revolved around his parents' death and Voldemort. Harry thought that he could happily live a normal life, but would he want a normal life?

What about Hermione? He would have met her on the train, but Quirrel wouldn't have let the troll in if Voldemort hadn't have made him. He wouldn't have ever become her friend and…No! He shook his head; he would have met her and Ron and they would have become great friends no matter what.

He lay on his back again, suddenly exhausted, fully clothed, but took off his glasses and set them on the little table by the bed. He convinced himself that he would have a perfect life if his parents were alive. Harry then, slowly, drifted to a dream-filled sleep.

Harry didn't know that he would have a beloved visitor in his dream…until he saw him face to face.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Harry Potter is not mine! Not mine I tell you!**

**A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers! **

**_Eternalstupor:_ I see your point; I looked over that detail. Oh well, I'm still new! Anyway…please keep the reviews coming, please!**

Chapter 6

Harry was standing in a white room…alone. He had that knowledge you get in dreams, so you never question why you are there; he was waiting.

"I'm here Harry," said a males' voice behind Harry. He turned around and saw a man with black, messy hair, oval glasses, and hazel eyes wearing a black robe. James Potter was standing in front of Harry; he looked so much like this son, but was about 7 years older.

"You wanted to see me?" Harry questioned his father; he was not surprised at finding him there.

"Do you know how important Time itself is Harry?" James Potter asked, looking at his son with sharp eyes, letting him know that he would know if Harry lied.

"Yes," he said immediately, "I could save you from being murdered with time. I can be able to have a proper family growing up with you and Mum with time. I--"

"Alright…I can see that you are thinking about _this _time, Harry, _my _time," said James with a hint of disappointment in his eyes as he continued to look at Harry. "I mean about _all_ of time. What about _your_ time? From my knowledge, you waste your time on the past instead of thinking of your future! You use up your limited time, alive, thinking of what should have happened instead of what _did_!" James said passionately with glistening eyes.

"I…I don't waste my time thinking of the past," said Harry in a small, nervous voice; he had never had the chance of him being yelled at by his father, and it scared him.

"Harry, my son," James said sadly, "You still do not know why I had brought you here…do you?"

"So you did bring me and Hermione here!" exclaimed Harry. "But…why are we here?"

James gave a tired sighed, and took off his oval glasses. He cleaned them on his robes while he closed his eyes. He did this to give his clueless son time to think…but Harry just stared at his father. James then placed his glasses back on, and looked at Harry with serious, hazel eyes.

"Harry…I know that you wanted a normal family growing up—don't interrupt," he said when Harry was about to ask how he knew. "But…earlier…you convinced yourself that everything would turn out perfectly if you had your Mum and me with you. But son…life isn't perfect, and you would be lucky to get _all_ that you want with time." James then started to walk in a slow circle around his son as he continued to talk.

"You cannot have both Harry: the same relationship that you have with your friends, or any relationship at all, and parents--"

"I can, and I will!" Harry shouted determinedly. "I have come here to save you and Mum and Sirius—"

"I have brought you here to tell you that you cannot, because you will never have the same relationships with the Rubius Hagrid, Ronald Weasley, or Hermione Granger; and that is a cold, hard fact Harry!" James Potter was now staring at his son with fiery eyes that burned into Harry's own. Harry could not look at him, so he rested his teary eyes to the white floor.

He wanted his parents so badly, but he did not think that he could live happily without Hermione and Ron if they were not his best friends…or possibly more, in Hermione's case.

"Dad," said Harry softly, "will I be able to have them as my friends?"

"You will become friends with Ronald because I know the Wealey's…that is if I were to live. However," he said with sad eyes, "I do not think that you will become a friend of Hermione Grangers."

Harry thought of living through Hogwarts, and not having her there by his side. He knew that if he changed the past, he would have no knowledge of a girl named Hermione Granger. He started to feel his eyes burning with tears; he did not want to believe that he could not have both.

"Why do you think that Hermione will not be my friend?" he asked his father, but was not looking at him.

"The only reason that anyone thought of Hermione as a person was because she helped you gain the Philosophers Stone, and became your friend. If I think this out correctly," said James thoughtfully, "then she will never open up to let anyone in because she will be labeled as a know-it-all…and nothing else."

Harry could see the logic in that. _Logic_… is Hermione's specialty. Harry could not imagine going through Hogwarts without Hermione pointing out the logic in everything that could happen and that did. Harry's vision became a blur of white and black as he looked at his father. He now knew that he could not have both.

"You don't have all of the time in the world Harry," said his father, "You should tell her how you truly feel about her, because you never know when you will take your last breath."

"You sound like something bad is going to happen to her…" said Harry. His face then became serious through his tears, and his voice became deep with seriousness. "Dad…is something bad going to happen to her?"

"I don't know son," said his father, "But I died before I could tell Lily that I loved her…" He stopped, because the white that surrounded them was starting to turn a dull grey.

"Dad?" said a worried Harry, "What's happening?" Harry could see the white completely disappear and was now grey. The grey began to turn darker very quickly. Harry could see James fading away, and he could see the dark color through him.

"Harry," shouted James, but his voice was small and feeble, "I don't know if anything will happen to her, but I _do _know that you're waking--"

Harry saw his dad disappear, and suddenly, Harry became very cold. He could see his breath as the darkness turned blacker. Harry did not know what to do; he thought that you could not feel pain in a dream, but he could feel the icy breath burn his lungs as he tried to breath. Harry then heard a far-off scream echo in his brain. Harry felt something as cold as ice surrounds his neck, ever-so gently, like it did not want to hurt him. Harry clawed at the invisible coldness, but felt nothing unusual. He became blind from the cold and darkness, and became deaf as the scream grew louder…the he opened his eyes.

He was scared half to death as he stared into the face of a Dementor. Its hands were around his neck, ever-so gently, and its face was close to Harry's. Its eye-less face stared at Harry, but Harry had nothing to stare back at. Its mouth was close to Harry's, and its breath seemed to paralyze Harry with disgust and fear. Harry could hear his mother and his father scream cruses and pleas, which never stopped. The Dememtor was tilting his head up to meet its horrid face—

Harry reached behind his back to the little table, as he shut his eyes. Harry couls see horrible images flashed by in a white, cloudy blur: Hermione lying, unconscious, on the floor in the Department of Mysteries in 5th year; Ron was being dragged into the Whomping Willow in 3rd, his fingers trying to grab onto the grass; Mr. Weasley bleeding from the snake wound, slowly dieing…

Harry felt wood make contact with his numb and cold fingers just when his mind could only see choking white fog. He brought his wand in front of him, just as the Dememtor's mouth was to make contact with Harry's.

Harry could see Hermione standing in front of him in the white fog with a smile on her face; this was how Harry loved to see her. The fog started to clear and change into the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts. Harry focused on her pretty face, and he could see Ron ahead in the background, his ginger hair flying around. Harry loved this memory; the time that Hermione kissed him on the cheek after he was praised for defeating Voldemort in the Great Hall. Just then, she leaned over to kiss him—

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouted at the creature before him. Brilliant white light erupted from his wand and hit the Dementor around its' middle. The cloaked figure was swept back by the white stag, and then flew out of the window and into the night.

Harry lay exhausted and shaking as cold sweat rolled down his forehead. The stag looked at him with concern in its' white eyes. Its head then snapped around to look at the wall ahead and its ears perked up; it was listening. Harry looked at the wall too, and remembered: the room next to his own was Hermione's…Harry jumped out of bed and ran to the door. He burst through it and ran to Hermione's. He pushed open the door to find a cloaked figure kneeling in a corner with its hands outstretched before it; it was holding something. Harry could see a pair of feet to the side of the Dementor: Hermione.

Harry raised his wand with an image of himself and Hermione together. He had a thought cross his mind before he screamed the spell: _Am I too late to save the one I love…again?_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Important: I do not own Harry Potter!**

**A/N: Please R&R!**

**A/N: This chapter is fluffy, so beware! Not as fast-paced as my others, but oh well!**

Chapter 7

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouted with the memory of himself and Hermione fresh in his mind. White light shot out of his wand, and spread to fill the dark room. The crouching Dementor looked over its shoulder with non-existent eyes to find a stag lower its antlers and ram it with the sharp spikes. The Dememtor and the stag hit the opposite wall with a dull _thud_. The Dememtor got itself up and flew toward Harry with its hands outstretched. Harry ducked and the Dementor sailed over-head. It flew down the corridor in search of its already gone companion.

Harry focused his eyes on the little curled-up figure in the corner. Hermione was unnaturally pale with her eyes closed. Harry ran to her as his stag was joined by the previously conjured patronus, and they just surveyed them with sad eyes. Harry could hear small, slow breathing, but other than that, no life presented itself from her. He knelt down cradled her face with his shaking hands; she was cold. Harry's heart beat faster and his breath started to come in ragged gasps; _was she kissed?_ If she was…it was his fault.

"Hermione," Harry said loudly as he looked at her unmoving face; no answer. "Hermione, wake up!" Harry screamed as hot tears stung his eyes. Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes. She looked up at Harry with dazed, empty eyes; no sparkle, no life, just brown eyes. Harry felt cold, numbing fear creep through his bones as he looked back at her own. Hermione blinked, and her eyes became focused. She looked up at him as life filled her eyes, and they started to leak tears. Her breathing quickened, and she grabbed onto Harry as if something had terrible had happened to him. Harry held her tightly and tears of joy spilled down his face and were soaked in by her hair. He could hear her sobbing in his shoulder and could feel her shaking in his arms.

Harry could hear her speak of darkness, terrible memories, and his name into his wet shoulder. After hearing his name, he gently pulled her away and looked at her at arms-length.

"Hermione, what happened? Are you okay? I'm sorry that I wasn't here earlier, but there was a Dementor in my room too." Harry said at rapid speed, trying to cover up his quivering voice with speed.

"I am now," she said with a quivering, hushed voice and looking up at him with teary eyes. That look crushed Harry's heart. "Do you know if anyone else was attacked?"

Harry thought about it and said, "No, but the coldness is gone, so I guess there was only two."

"I had a dream of your Mum before I was…" she could not get the words out; the memories were too horrible. She took a deep breath before she started again.

"She said that I was wasting time on debating my feelings toward you…She said that I don't have--" she started, but Harry interrupted.

"Don't have all the time in the world," he stated.

"Yes…" she said looking up at him with glistening eyes.

"I love you," they said to each other.

Harry felt his heart become light as air when he heard the words. He saw her eyes light up again as she started to cry happy tears. He held her protectively as the two stags in the doorway looked at the couple with amused eyes. If Harry or Hermione were looking at their audience, they could have sworn that they had seen the two creatures give a little smile to the other.

Now Harry knew why his father had sent him and Hermione into the past: he had his mind there too often, instead of it being in the future.


End file.
